The Accidental Engagement (5 page)

“How is my beautiful bride-to-be?” Jack asked as he plopped down onto the couch and looked up at her.

Jack’s eyes were warm and empathetic and he patted the couch cushion beside him. “Have a seat, let’s get to know one another better.” He held up his hands in mock surrender. “I promise to be a good boy.”

Ivy laughed at his wide-eyed look and perched on the sofa beside him. He had it all wrong—it wasn’t him she was scared of. Her eyes flicked back to Daniel, but he was fixing himself a drink at the bar and talking to Franklin, apparently giving the two lovebirds a chance to chat.

Jack lowered his voice so the others couldn’t hear. “I want you to know that I truly appreciate what you’re doing. I know you have your own reasons but—well, this deal means the world to me and to Danny.”

Ivy noted the nickname with surprise. There was nothing “Danny” about the man she’d met. He was Mr. Gladwell and maybe Daniel to those he liked—but not Danny. Had it always been that way? Had he been ‘Danny’ as a kid? She was struck by an image of him as a child wearing a business suit and glowering at her and she bit back a laugh.

“People call him Danny?” she asked.

Jack’s eyes were filled with a now familiar mischief. “Nobody does, except for me. Drives him nuts.”

His grin was wicked and she found herself laughing along with him. Despite her best intentions, her eyes slid once more to the Danny in in question. Whatever he was talking to Franklin about, he didn’t look pleased.
But he looked hot.

Daniel glanced over and caught her looking at him. He raised his brows in a questioning look and she whipped her attention back to Jack. She hoped the heat in her cheeks wasn’t visible.

Daniel was not a mind reader, she reminded herself. Why was she letting him get to her? He was clearly not her type—he was a passionless, business-comes-first, cold-hearted, ruthless—Jack’s voice interrupted her rant.

“Look, Ivy, I know that my actions are the reason you’re here and I apologize. Believe me when I say I never meant to cause you any harm.” He gestured toward Daniel with a look of chagrin. “I never mean to cause anyone harm, but somehow I always seem to be in trouble.”

He sighed loudly and looked down at his feet. Between the pout and the floppy hair that was falling into his eyes, Jack reminded her of a little boy who’d been sent to his room. It was no wonder he was such a hit with the ladies. He had boyish charm down to a tee.

She found herself laughing and he glanced up in surprise before joining in. “You’re laughing because I’m such a screw-up right?” he asked, which made her laugh all the harder. He shrugged and shook his head. “I know, I know. Thank God for Danny or my new toys would never see the light of day.”

She found her gaze wandering back to Daniel. Franklin was doing the talking and Daniel…was watching her. She looked away quickly, focusing on Jack but she could feel the weight of his stare.

“I take it he’s the more serious of the two of you,” Ivy said.

Jack rolled his eyes. “That’s putting it mildly. It’s always about business with ‘the General’.” Jack used air quotes and shifted on the couch so they were a little closer and there was no chance that Daniel could overhear.

Ivy threw back her head with a laugh. “The General, that’s perfect.”

As if on cue, Daniel strode in front of them, commandeering the room. “All right you two, are you ready to get down to business?”

Ivy glanced over at Jack and they both burst into laughter at the same time. Daniel’s dark look only made them laugh harder.

“The General”, as Ivy was starting to think of him, raised one eyebrow. “Are you finished? “Ivy and Jack shared a look and made a valiant effort to smother their giggles. Relaxing back onto the couch beside Jack, she listened to Daniel’s speech about the importance of sticking to the script. She glanced over at her partner in crime and he winked at her. She knew he was only teasing but it warmed her heart. It was nice to know she had one ally on the battlefield.

* * * *

Daniel saw Jack’s wink. He caught everything. That was his job. He made a mental note to have a talk with the younger man—not that it would do much good. Jack was an incorrigible flirt. But maybe that would work to their advantage in this instance. If he noticed the way Ivy’s eyes lit up when Jack flirted with her, then Brunelli would too. Maybe her infatuation would help seal the deal.

Daniel was the one who’d told Jack to make it look real. If Jack could make Ivy fall for him, he should be glad. It was obvious how it would unfold. He’d seen Jack in action before. He would flirt and charm and tease and Ivy…well, she would fall for it. All women did.

Of course, knowing Jack it wouldn’t last long. Jack was a decent guy but he had no attention span and he didn’t do commitments. And Ivy was so clearly the kind of woman who wanted that sort of thing. She would want commitments and promises of happily ever after.

He watched her laughing with Jack as they rehearsed their stories. Ivy would fall for Jack, it was inevitable. Daniel could use any feelings she might have for Jack to his advantage—the more real her emotions, the easier it would be to sell to Brunelli. And when the deal was signed, Ivy would be left with a broken heart. He pushed that thought away. He wouldn’t think about how she would feel when this was all over and she was just another notch on Jack’s bedpost. He hardened himself against the pity that threatened to weaken his resolve. Ivy’s future heartbreak was not his concern.

He hadn’t gotten much accomplished before lunch arrived and Jack jumped up to help himself, followed quickly by Ivy, who attacked the sandwiches on the room service cart as though she hadn’t eaten all day. She probably hadn’t.

He pushed away a nagging feeling of guilt. The girl was in over her head—big time. There was a good chance she’d drown before this deal was through. There were so many ways she could get hurt—by Jack, by the media…by him. Ivy Sinclair would be collateral damage. That was something that came with the territory. You didn’t get to his position in life without hurting some feelings along the way.

He watched her face light up with a smile at something Jack said and felt a jolt of awareness run through his body.
Damn.
This was not the time, nor the girl. Besides, she wasn’t his type. In fact, she was everything he’d always steered clear of in a lover. He tended toward worldly women—the type who knew who and what they were getting involved in. They were only in it for the fun and the glamour of jet-setting around the world with a wealthy, powerful man. And he was only in it for the physical satisfaction. Once either side grew bored with the arrangement, it ended civilly. Casually even, in most cases. If one or two had held out hopes that the affair would turn into something more, he would never have known. The women he dated knew how to keep their emotions under wraps. Not like Ivy. The girl was an open book. Which was rather endearing—for someone else.

As if on cue, his traitorously perfect memory chose that moment to call up the image of Ivy in the doorway of her apartment the night before. Adorably barefoot and damp, with tendrils of her long curly hair clinging to her neck—all it would have taken was one quick move to free the rest of that hair so it would tumble down her back.

And that robe. It was simple and modest—that is, it would have been modest if it hadn’t been clinging to every curve along her shapely figure. It hadn’t taken much imagination to see the delicious body that was one slip away from being exposed. It had taken every ounce of willpower he possessed to keep from pulling her into his arms right then and there.

“Okay, General, we’re ready to get started.” Jack’s interruption couldn’t have been better timed. Daniel’s mind was heading into dangerous territory and he couldn’t afford to be distracted from the task at hand.

He gestured for the two “lovebirds” to return to their seats on the sofa as he went over their story for a third time. He refused to leave anything up to chance.

When it was clear that his happy couple couldn’t take any more ‘lessons’, Daniel called for a break. Jack took the opportunity to slip off to make some calls—most likely his parents to give them a heads up on the news story to come.

“Have you had chance to talk to your family and friends?” he asked Ivy.

She was sprawled out on the couch but she stiffened at the question and he knew that was her weak spot. In his line of business he always took note of people’s weaknesses—even with those he was working with, who were on his side. One never knew when it would come in handy. And Ivy’s reflexive response gave her away—she was vulnerable to those she loved.

“I haven’t had a chance yet.” She had turned her head and was staring out the window with a pensive frown. She had been alone in this suite for hours earlier in the day. She was putting off the inevitable.

“It might be easier to just get it over with.”

He hadn’t meant to dole out advice. It wasn’t his place and it wasn’t his concern. As long as she played her role, she could manage her private affairs however she saw fit. That is, as long as it didn’t interfere with his plans.

“Maybe you’re right,” she said with a sigh. “I’ve just—I’ve never lied to my family before.”

Daniel paused, struck by the simplicity of her statement. She had never lied to her family. A bitter irony washed over him. Luckily for her, she was getting advice from an expert on family betrayal.

He considered his words before he spoke, figuring out how best to play this scenario. “Lying, in this instance, would be for their own good.”

She glanced up at him in surprise. “How do you figure?”

“If you told them the whole truth about your current situation, you’d be putting them in a position where they would be forced to lie. You might feel better but at their expense.” He saw her brows pull together as she considered this logic.

Yes, make her feel like she was doing this for them
—
that was definitely the best motivation for Ivy
.

He pressed on. “Not to mention, once this is over and done, you’ll be able to help them financially. Don’t they deserve that?”

She was looking up at him with wide eyes and for the first time he saw just how exhausted she was—physically and emotionally, no doubt. He’d done that. He was the one who had entangled her in a world of lies where she was so far out of her league.

He pushed away the guilt that threatened to devour him. “Look, we’ll try to keep your name out of this for as long as possible. Your co-workers are under strict orders not to speak to the press, but it won’t take long before they figure out who you are and when they do…” he let his voice trail off as Ivy gave him a nod of understanding. She couldn’t hide from this forever.

They were interrupted by a knock on the door. Daniel let in a bellboy who held a small package.

“What’s that?”

Daniel unwrapped the small box and brought it over to Ivy. They were alone in the room and he watched Ivy’s eyes widen in understanding at the sight of the little velvet box.

It was real now, her expression said. There was no turning back.

He took her hand in his and slid the ring on her finger. She was his now, her heart and soul belonged to him—for the time being at least.

* * * *

By the time Ivy left the hotel room, she felt like she’d been brainwashed. She’d repeated her fake love story so many times, she knew it by heart, and she could almost fool herself into thinking it was real. Or maybe that was exhaustion talking.

If she’d been at all inclined to complain about Daniel’s drill sergeant ways, one interaction with the press changed her mind.

She and Jack were ushered through the lobby, where members of the media had been camped out all day, waiting for a glimpse of Jack or the mysterious hotel employee who’d blasted into the limelight that morning like a bull in a china shop. No one knew who she was or where she’d come from.

When both objects of fascination stepped off the elevator, it was like Christmas come early for the press. Jack greeted them all like long-lost friends, clearly at ease in the spotlight. Ivy, on the other hand, plastered a smile on her face and prayed that it looked genuine. She saw the eyes of the reporters flicking back and forth between Jack and herself with unabashed curiosity.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I’m so glad you could be here today,” he said. He wrapped an arm around Ivy’s shoulder and puller her against his side while she continued to smile at the crowd like a lunatic.

“Thanks to some of your more
persistent
peers…” Jack paused as the reporters tittered. “I suppose the cat is out of the bag. The gossip pages are correct—I’m involved with this beautiful woman.”

Snap, click, snap
. Ivy blinked rapidly and tried not to let the smile falter in the barrage of camera flashes. She felt Daniel’s eyes on her from the sidelines and that more than anything was enough to keep the smile firmly fixed.

Jack turned to look at her and for one fleeting moment Ivy nearly fell for the ruse, that’s how convincing he was. His gaze screamed love and adoration. And then he winked and Ivy snapped back to reality. The boy sure could act. And he wasn’t finished yet. Not even close.

“What some of you may have surmised from one photo in particular is that yesterday was a very special day for me and my lovely lady.” He squeezed Ivy even tighter against his side. “I am proud and honored to announce that this beautiful woman has agreed to be my bride.”

Score!
Flashes popped left and right and Ivy found herself at the pointed end of a dozen microphones.

“What’s your name?”

“What’s the story behind the picture?”

“Did you know he was going to propose?”

“How did you meet?”

The questions came from all directions.

“How does it feel to be the soon-to-be Mrs. Everett?” one man asked.

“Where will the wedding be held?” the woman behind him asked.

The photographers seemed to inch closer and Ivy felt herself stiffen as she fought the urge to run away.

“That’s all for now, people,” she heard Franklin’s voice boom out. He clapped his hands and made a shooing motion, effectively pushing the crowd out of the way so he could stand before them, a human barrier between the media and the happy couple.